Aspects

Description Source: Ultimate Wilderness
A shifter draws her primary strength from an association with a specific type of animal. As a result, when a shifter uses her shifter aspect or wild shape class features, she can assume only the forms of her chosen aspects. Until reaching 5th level, a shifter has only a single aspect, but as she increases in level, she gains more control over her metamorphosis, allowing her to take on multiple aspects and even merge aspects.

All shifter aspects have a minor form and a major form. The minor form grants a shifter a few of the animal’s physical traits, while the major aspect is the form she takes on when she uses wild shape to fully transform into an animal. The list of abilities gained with the major aspect include those gained from the wild shape class feature, but the benefits gained from any resulting changes to size are not listed here (see beast shape II).

The following options represent only the most common choices used by shifters. Other aspects based on different animals certainly exist, and might grant similar powers or entirely new abilities based on the animal’s themes and nature. You can use the following aspects as guides for developing aspects of your own design, but if you wish to do so, you must secure your GM’s permission.

Bat

SourceUltimate Wilderness pg. 28The aspect of the bat imparts mastery over darkness and the night. Though not as powerful in battle as some other aspects, those who take this aspect become adept at skirmishing and spying.

Minor Form: You gain darkvision with a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision with this range or greater, the range of your darkvision increases by 30 feet. At 8th level, you gain darkvision with a range of 90 feet instead. If you already have darkvision with this range or greater, your darkvision increases by 30 feet. At 15th level, you gain the 8th-level benefit and gain blindsense with a range of 15 feet or, if you already have blindsense with a range of 15 feet or more, you increase its range by 10 feet.

Major Form: Your shape changes to that of a dire bat (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 30). While in this form, you gain a base speed of 30 feet, a fly speed of 40 feet (clumsy), blindsense with a range of 10 feet, and a bite attack (1d8 damage). At 8th level, the fly speed increases to 60 feet (good), the range of your blindsense increases to 20 feet, and you gain the Flyby Attack feat (Bestiary 315). At 15th level, your fly speed increases to 80 feet (good) and you gain the Hover feat (Bestiary 315).

Bear

SourceUltimate Wilderness pg. 29The aspect of the bear invokes a juggernaut of tireless endurance and furious power. Those who take this aspect are known for surviving severe wounds and delivering punishing blows in return.

Minor Form: You gain a +2 enhancement bonus to your Constitution score. At 8th level, the bonus increases to +4, and at 15th level it increases to +6.

Major Form: Your shape changes to that of a dire bear (Bestiary 31). While in this form, you gain a base speed of 40 feet, low-light vision, scent (30 feet), a bite attack (1d8 damage), and two claw attacks (1d6 damage) with the grab ability. At 8th level, you gain Improved Natural Attack (Bestiary 315) with your claws. At 15th level, the critical multiplier of your claw attack increases by 1 (×2 becomes ×3) to a maximum of ×4, and you gain the Awesome Blow feat (Bestiary 314).

Bull

Minor Form: You gain a +2 enhancement bonus to your Strength score. At 8th level, the bonus increases to +4, and at 15th level it increases to +6.

Major Form: Your shape changes to that of a Large bull (see Cattle on page 179). While in this form, you gain a base speed of 40 feet, low-light vision, scent, and a gore attack (1d8 damage) with powerful charge (+1d8 on your gore attack). At 8th level, you gain the trample as per the universal monster rule (dealing gore damage plus 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier). At 15th level, your gore damage increases to 2d8 and you gain the Awesome Blow feat (Bestiary 314).

Deinonychus

SourceUltimate Wilderness pg. 29The deinonychus is adept at racing from ambush to deliver grievous wounds with its talons. This aspect infuses the shifter with an enhanced ability to surprise foes and strike first in battle.

Minor Form: You gain a +2 bonus on Initiative checks. This bonus increases to +4 at 8th level and +6 at 15th level.

Major Form: Your shape changes to that of a deinonychus (Bestiary 84). While in this form, you gain a base speed of 60 feet, low-light vision, scent (30 feet), a bite attack (1d8 damage), and two talon attacks (1d8 damage; your talon attacks can use your shifter claws damage), and pounce. At 8th level, you gain two foreclaw attacks (1d4 damage; these attacks cannot use your shifter claws damage) and a +4 racial bonus on Acrobatics checks. At 15th level, you gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Spring Attack as a bonus feat.

Falcon

SourceUltimate Wilderness pg. 29The falcon senses all and has the speed to hunt down even the most elusive prey. Those who take this aspect gain enhanced abilities to perceive and reconnoiter the wilderness—little escapes this shifter’s attention.

Minor Form: You gain a +4 competence bonus on Perception checks. This bonus increases to +6 at 8th level and +8 at 15th level.

Major Form: Your shape changes to that of a Small falcon (see page 179). While in this form, you gain a base speed of 30 feet, a bite attack (1d4 damage), two claw attacks (1d3 damage), a fly speed of 60 feet (good), low-light vision, and a +4 racial bonus on vision-based Perception checks. At 8th level, you gain darkvision with a range of 120 feet, and your racial bonus on Perception checks increases to +6. At 15th level, you gain blindsense with a range of 60 feet and your fly speed increases to 90 feet (perfect).

Frog

SourceUltimate Wilderness pg. 29The aspect of the frog grants great mobility in leaping through the air and swimming in water, as well surprising tactics in combat.

Minor Form: You gain a +4 competence bonus on Acrobatics checks when jumping and on Swim checks. These bonuses increase to +6 at 8th level and +8 at 15th level.

Major Form: Your shape changes to that of a Large frog (as per the giant frog but with a space of 10 feet; Bestiary 135). While in this form, you gain a base speed of 30 feet, a swim speed of 30 feet, lowlight vision, scent (30 feet), a bite attack (1d6 damage) with the grab ability, and the ability to treat all jumps as if you had a running start. At 8th level, you gain a tongue attack (see below). At 15th level, your swim speed increases to 60 feet. In addition, the reach of your tongue attack increases to 30 feet, and your tongue attack deals bludgeoning damage equal to the damage dealt by your shifter claws.

Tongue (Ex): Your tongue is a primary natural attack with a reach of 15 feet. Your tongue deals no damage on a hit, but can be used to grab. You do not gain the grappled condition while using your tongue in this manner.

Lizard

SourceUltimate Wilderness pg. 29The aspect of the lizard is one of swift, graceful movement, granting the ability to dart and scurry with an astounding agility and balance.

Minor Form: You gain a +4 competence bonus on Acrobatics checks. This bonus increases to +6 at 8th level and +8 at 15th level.

Major Form: Your shape changes to that of an agile and brightly colored giant lizard (as per the giant frilled lizard from Bestiary 194, but with the following changes). While in this form, you gain a base speed of 40 feet, low-light vision, scent (30 feet), a primary bite attack (1d8 damage) with the grab ability and a secondary tail attack (1d6 damage) with the trip ability. At 8th level, your base speed increases to 60 feet and you gain a climb speed of 30 feet. At 15th level, you gain Improved Natural Attack with your bite and your tail attacks, and the reach of your tail attack becomes 10 feet.

Monkey

Minor Form: You gain a +4 competence bonus on Climb checks. This bonus increases to +6 at 8th level and +8 at 15th level.

Major Form: Your shape changes to that of a Large monkey (as per the dire ape; Bestiary 17). While in this form, you gain a base speed of 30 feet, a climb speed of 30 feet, low-light vision, scent (30 feet), a bite attack (1d6 damage), and two claw attacks (1d6 damage), and you can still use your hands to wield weapons, hold objects, and manipulate objects normally. At 8th level, your climb speed increases to 50 feet, and you can use your tail to hold and manipulate objects as if you had a third hand, but you cannot use it to wield weapons or shields. At 15th level, you gain a rend attack that deals extra damage equal to that of your shifter claws attack plus 1-1/2 times your Strength bonus when you hit with two of your normal shifter claws attacks.

Mouse

SourceUltimate Wilderness pg. 30The aspect of the mouse offers the ability to gain access to hard-to-reach places while avoiding many attacks and effects.

Minor Form: You gain evasion, as per the rogue class feature. At 12th level, this benefit becomes improved evasion, as per the rogue advanced talent.

Major Form: Your shape changes to that of a Large monkey (as per the dire ape; Bestiary 17). While in this form, you gain a base speed of 30 feet, a climb speed of 30 feet, low-light vision, scent (30 feet), a bite attack (1d6 damage), and two claw attacks (1d6 damage), and you can still use your hands to wield weapons, hold objects, and manipulate objects normally. At 8th level, your climb speed increases to 50 feet, and you can use your tail to hold and manipulate objects as if you had a third hand, but you cannot use it to wield weapons or shields. At 15th level, you gain a rend attack that deals extra damage equal to that of your shifter claws attack plus 1-1/2 times your Strength bonus when you hit with two of your normal shifter claws attacks.
Your shape changes to that of a Tiny mouse (as per the dire rat, but with a space of 2-1/2 feet and a reach of 0 feet; Bestiary 232). While in this form, you gain a base speed of 30 feet, a climb speed of 20 feet, a swim speed of 20 feet, lowlight vision, scent (30 feet), and a bite attack (1d4 damage), and you use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on Climb and Swim checks. At 8th level, your climb and swim speeds both increase to 40 feet. At 15th level, you do not provoke attacks of opportunity while moving through or out of a creature’s threatened area or moving into its space, but you do when you leave its space.

Owl

SourceUltimate Wilderness pg. 30The aspect of the owl is one of silence. This predator glides through the night unheard, a master of stealthy attacks.

Minor Form: You gain a +4 competence bonus on Stealth checks. This bonus increases to +6 at 8th level and +8 at 15th level.

Major Form: Your shape changes to that of a Medium owl (see page 181). While in this form, you gain a base speed of 30 feet, a fly speed of 60 feet (average), two talon attacks (1d6 damage), darkvision with a range of 60 feet, and a +2 racial bonus on Stealth checks. At 8th level, you gain Flyby Attack (Bestiary 315) as a bonus feat, and the range of your darkvision increases to 120 feet. At 15th level, you can take the form of a Large owl and gain the benefits of the Snatch feat (Bestiary 316), but you can use it only to grab a creature at least one size category smaller than yourself, and you can squeeze a creature grappled with this ability no matter what size it is.

Snake

SourceUltimate Wilderness pg. 30The snake is a sneaky and lethal foe who strikes unexpectedly with deadly effect, while avoiding opportune strikes made in return.

Minor Form: You gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls when making attacks of opportunity and a +2 dodge bonus to your AC against attacks of opportunity. These bonuses increase to +4 at 8th level and +6 at 15th level.

Major Form: Your shape changes to that of an emperor cobra (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 252). While in this form, you gain a base speed of 30 feet, a climb speed of 30 feet, a swim speed of 30 feet, lowlight vision, scent (30 feet), a bite attack (2d6 damage), and the Combat Reflexes feat. If you already have Combat Reflexes or your Dexterity score is not high enough to gain more attacks of opportunity from Combat Reflexes, you can instead make one additional attack of opportunity each round. At 8th level, you gain a +4 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Stealth checks. At 15th level, when you make an attack of opportunity with your bite attack, that attack also applies the following poison.

Stag

SourceUltimate Wilderness pg. 30The stag can outrun or stand its ground against almost any foe. This aspect offers majestic grace and swift speed.

Minor Form: You gain an enhancement bonus of +5 feet to your base speed. This bonus increases to +10 feet at 8th level and +20 feet at 15th level.

Major Form: Your shape changes to that of a Large stag (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 4 150), but its space changes to 10 feet. While in this form, you gain a base speed of 50 feet, low-light vision, scent (30 feet), a gore attack (1d6 damage), and two hoove attacks (1d4 damage). At 8th level, you gain a +4 racial bonus on Acrobatic checks when jumping. At 15th level, you gain the Awesome Blow and Improved Natural Attack feats (Bestiary 314, 315) for gore attacks, and you can use Awesome Blow against a creature of your size or smaller.

Tiger

SourceUltimate Wilderness pg. 31The tiger is a powerful but graceful hunter of the wild, quietly stalking its prey and then taking it down with ruthless efficiency.

Minor Form: You gain a +2 enhancement bonus to your Dexterity score. This bonus increases to +4 at 8th level and +6 at 15th level.

Major Form: Your shape changes to that of a dire tiger (Bestiary 265). While in this form, you gain a base speed of 40 feet, low-light vision, scent (30 feet), a bite attack (2d6 damage), two claw attacks (2d4 damage), the grab ability with both your bite and claw attacks, and pounce. At 8th level, you gain a +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks. At 15th level, you gain the rake attack with your back claw attacks (dealing additional damage equal to that of your claw attack).

Wolf

SourceUltimate Wilderness pg. 31The aspect of the wolf provides the senses and the attacks of the mighty wolf, whose instincts are honed to track and take down its prey.

Minor Form: You gain the scent ability with a range of 10 feet, or, if you have the scent ability, the range increases by 10 feet. The range of this scent or the increase to your scent increases to 20 feet at 8th level and 30 feet at 15th level. The range doubles if the opponent is upwind and is halved if the opponent is downwind.

Major Form:
Your shape changes to that of a dire wolf (Bestiary 278). While in this form, you gain a base speed of 50 feet, low-light vision, scent (30 feet), a bite attack (1d8 damage), and you can make a trip attempt with your bite attack. At 8th level, the range of your scent ability increases to 40 feet and you gain a +4 racial bonus on Survival checks when tracking with scent. At 15th level, you gain Improved Natural Attack (bite) (Bestiary 315).

Wolverine

SourceUltimate Wilderness pg. 31This aspect unlocks the brutal ferocity and tenacious fury of the wolverine. The wolverine’s lust for battle invigorates its will to live, and it can press on in battle longer than its enemies expect.

Minor Form: You gain 1 additional hit point per Hit Die you have, and treat your Constitution score as 4 points higher than it is for the purpose of determining when you die at negative hit points. At 8th level, you gain Diehard as a bonus feat. At 15th level, you treat your Constitution as being 8 points higher for the purpose of determining when you die at negative hit points.

Major Form: Your shape changes to that of a dire wolverine (Bestiary 279). While in this form, you gain a base speed of 30 feet, a climb speed of 10 feet, low-light vision, scent (30 feet), a bite attack (1d6 damage), and two claw attacks (1d8 damage). While in dire wolverine form, you gain the barbarian’s rage power, but can activate this rage only in a round after you’ve taken damage. You can rage for a number of rounds each day equal to your shifter level. This ability otherwise functions the same as the barbarian rage ability (unlike a dire wolverine, you can choose to end this rage voluntarily). At 8th level, you can choose two barbarian rage powers, treating your shifter level as your effective barbarian level for the purposes of meeting prerequisites. At 15th level, you are no longer fatigued at the end of your rage.